Man with “cognitive difficulties” jailed over sex crimes

Wednesday 30 October 2019

A man with “cognitive difficulties” and “limited self-awareness” has been jailed for a string of sex crimes, including putting his hand down a woman’s shorts without her consent, slapping a woman’s bottom while on Police bail, and sending photos of his genitals to a woman posing as a teen online.

Luis Sousa Rebelo (27) was handed the three-and-a-half-year prison sentence in the Royal Court yesterday after admitting four sexual offences: two counts of sexual touching without consent, one of improper use of a public telecommunications system, and one of making indecent photographs of children.

The first incident of sexual touching occurred in February 2019. Rebelo met a 21-year-old woman he had started speaking to over Facebook in town and later went to her flat. They went to her bedroom as it was the only room with a working television.

The woman said that as they sat down Rebelo started playing with himself. She was shocked as they had “never had any sexual contact before and nothing had been said".

Pictured: Rebelo told police the sexual touching had been mutual and consensual.

Rebelo then repeatedly tried to touch the woman, who pushed him away and told him 'no' several times. He then moved closer to her and managed to push his hand down the front of her shorts and pants and touched her. The woman then told him to leave, which he did. 

When interviewed about the incident, Rebelo told officers: “I didn’t rape her, we just played around a bit.” He maintained the sexual touching had been mutual and consensual. 

Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit told Court this was the first case of its type to be prosecuted under Jersey's new Sexual Offences Law.

Following this incident, the police seized Rebelo’s phone and found 15 indecent photographs of children on it. Police also examined his internet searches and found evidence of an interest in young girls engaging in sexual activity. 

Pictured: Rebelo slapped a woman’s bottom outside Rojo's.

A few days later, whilst on police bail for the first incident, Rebelo slapped a woman’s bottom whilst she was speaking to door staff outside Rojo’s.  

He was arrested shortly after, close to the scene, after the woman alerted the Police. 

He admitted touching the woman but said he thought he had touched a boy. Rebelo said he had done this “just to smile”, denying that he got any pleasure out of touching people.  

The third charge related to a report from a 23-year-old woman, who had spoken to Rebelo whilst posing as a 14-year-old girl.

When the woman stated she was 14 Rebelo replied: “U look like 18.” He then continued to message her. His communications soon became sexual in nature, with Rebelo asking the 'teen' for photos of herself, and offering to buy her a sex toy.

He also sent several images to the 'child' - some of his own genitals and others taken from a pornographic website. 

Pictured: Officers found indecent images of children on Rebelo's phone.

Rebelo denied having an interest in young girls during an interview with Police, instead claiming he was only interested in women aged over 20.

Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit recommended a sentence of three years and nine months.  

Defending, Advocate Sarah Dale said Rebelo didn’t believe the woman he spoke to was really 14, as he had seen pictures of her from several years before with a tattoo and a tongue piercing.

Speaking of the indecent images on his phone, she said that the images were automatically generated in his phone cache when he viewed them online, and that he hadn't deliberately downloaded them.

She added that he had neither looked at them again nor shared them with other people.

Pictured: Rebelo will have to remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for at least eight years.

Advocate Dale explained that events within Rebelo's family - the death of Rebelo’s mother and the “temporary loss of his father” when he was temporarily incarcerated - had had a dramatic impact on him.

She read from a psychological report, which described Rebelo as having "cognitive difficulties" and "limited self-awareness".

Returning the sentence, Royal Court Commissioner Sir Michael Birt said it was clear Rebelo had ignored the first victim’s “repeated protestations".

He noted Rebelo’s difficulties and the “traumatic” last couple of years, before handing down a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

The Commissioner also made a restraining order, preventing him from contacting his first victim for the next eight years as well as a restrictive order.

As a result of his offending, Rebelo will have to remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for at least eight years.